Forest guard shot dead in Madhya Pradesh

Shivpuri: A forest guard was allegedly
shot dead by the mining mafia near Mazhar stone mines, police
said on Friday.

The body of the guard, identified as Vishal Prabhakar
(25), was found near the stone mines with a bullet injury on
his head, they said.

Prabhkar had gone for duty on March 20 at Patkheda Karai
beat under which Mazhar mine is located.

Vishal`s brother Dharmendra told reporters that he went
for his duty following a directive over phone from the Deputy
Forest Officer. Since then he did not return to the house and
today his body with a bullet injury on his head was found near
the stone mines.

Dharmendra alleged that large scale illegal mining of
stones takes place here in connivance with senior forest
officials and that his brother refused to become a party to
their deeds and that was the reason he was murdered by the
mafia.

Two days back, an illegal miner had tried to hit the Sub
Divisional Officer of Forest, BP Upadhyaya when he tried to
stop the tractor-trolley carrying stones.

At that time, Deputy Forest Ranger Dharmendra Sharma had
opened fire at the tractor driver to save themselves.

Early this month, a young IPS officer was allegedly
killed by a member of the mining mafia at Morena that had
created an uproar.